In your opinion what factors contribute towards good leadership?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 09:03:39 -0400

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2020 9:06 AM

2LT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 09:06:46 -0400

A person that is able to make sound judgments.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Mar 19 at 2020 9:34 AM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 09:34:19 -0400

A good leader has patience with their subordinates.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2020 9:39 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 09:39:07 -0400

Empathy, Sympathy, trust, patience, getting in the dirt with the troops.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2020 9:44 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 09:44:51 -0400

In order to be a good leader, you must have first learned to be a good follower.

Response by LCpl Mike Niemeyer made Mar 19 at 2020 9:54 AM

LCpl Mike Niemeyer — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 09:54:42 -0400

Leaders can be made but first they have to know what they are doing. Reminds me of thr joke we thought of the Corps. They put a butter bar with a degree in culinary arts in charge of a motor pool. The first time the officer seen me he asked me what I was holding, told him an alternator sir, he asked me what does that do? Now as an E2 I am looking at this officer like are you serious? But told him anyway, looking back I still wonder with that officer was he stupid or was that his way of testing an enlisted on his job?

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Mar 19 at 2020 10:00 AM

SGT Dave Tracy — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 10:00:54 -0400

My answer in visual form:

Response by 1SG Joseph Dartey made Mar 19 at 2020 10:48 AM

1SG Joseph Dartey — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 10:48:57 -0400

Dignity, courtesy and respect. By that I mean, don't ask your soldiers not to do anything that you wouldn't do. Get in the trenches with them. Reminds me of when I was a Maintenance Supervisor. I got on a vehicle with one of my soldiers, helped pull out an engine while cussing because thing weren't going the way it should. After that, soldiers looked up to me, especially for advice and guidance. That's showing you won't ask them to do anything you aren't willing to do.

Response by SSG David Kaelin made Mar 19 at 2020 10:59 AM

SSG David Kaelin — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 10:59:45 -0400

Courage, Empathy, Expertise, selflessness, anti-Ego, Mental, the ability to think critically and question up AND down and Physical Fitness, Candor, Honor and, when the times necessitate it, valor.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2020 11:33 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 11:33:34 -0400

Honesty and communication, everything that is in the NCO creed. That gets forgotten at times.. but really if your honest and communicate efficiently it’ll
Be hard to fail at being a leader. Be in charge when in charge

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2020 11:36 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 11:36:20 -0400

Integrity and Understanding. As much of both as you can get whether it is your own or in your team.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2020 12:04 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 12:04:18 -0400

I'll address factors, not character traits, because it is my opinion that without positive character traits, and strong Army values, there are no factors that can create good leadership.
1. Leadership is demonstrated, and then emulated. Good leaders have seen good leadership in action. Similarly, good leaders have seen poor leadership, found it to be so, and made a conscious decision to be better than any poor leadership they've endured. You endure and survive poor leadership, whereas, you grow and develop under good leadership.
2. Good leadership permits mistakes. No leader is perfect. Decisions and actions are based on who you are at that point in time, and I've noticed, for me personally, that any "nugget" of leadership knowledge was often immediately preceded by my making a poor decision. Many great leaders are harder on themselves than anyone else can be. Acknowledge the error, determine what should be done in the future, and it'll be a nugget to share when mentoring and training subordinates.
3. Good leadership requires self honesty, self discipline. There is one person you should never lie to: yourself. If you can't be honest with yourself, you can't acknowledge fault; if you can't acknowledge fault, you can't improve. Good leaders place the needs of the Nation, Service (Army, etc.), mission, and Soldiers before themselves. Good leaders don't use their position for personal gain, or to avoid risks.
4. Good leadership requires experience, training, and education. Developmental positions, training center rotations, leadership schools, military education, civilian education, and professional reading. Most experience, schools, and military training are laid out in career plans, as well as different level of civilian education. Professional reading varies by career field, and in my experience, is encouraged for officers, but not as much for enlisted. Professional reading provides examples of good and poor leadership decisions; technical information; historical perspective; cultural diversity; and more.
I took correspondence courses associated with my MOS, general military skills, civilian leadership, and from other MOSs (aviation, engineers, SF, infantry, admin, and finance). The courses and sub courses related to other MOSs didn't qualify me to do their duties, but provided a familiarization to their organization, missions, processes, and terminology. It permitted me to identify where my MOS, experience, and skills could contribute to their mission and success. Similarly, it permitted me to know the capabilities that they could contribute.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2020 3:55 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 15:55:36 -0400

Interpersonal Skills, ability to talk/understand your subordinates and can change up how you engage them.

Willingness to listen & hear, personal biases and beliefs are not disregarded but not utilized for sensitive problem solving.

Reach out, giving care to not only your subordinates but also your peers and superiors. While my rater (at the time) is a CPT, I still can engage him enough to remind him that I still got his back. Not soldier hugging, just having that ability to show people you care and give a stick.

Self Awareness, not walking on egg shells due to EO and SHARP/SAPR but knowing that your body language and how you say things can be misinterpreted.

Response by LTC Lee Bouchard made Mar 19 at 2020 4:57 PM

LTC Lee Bouchard — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 16:57:38 -0400

There are, and there will be, many more good answers to your great question already posted.
Here is another approach you might try. Think about those you have worked for and with who you admired as a good leader. What were their traits you respected the most? What was there about this person that made you feel comfortable as a follower? Would you follow this person again? Why?
Also. think of leadership from another venue. Leadership is something you cannot see, touch, smell or taste. But you can recognize it when you see it in another. What was it you saw?

Write down the names of 10 leaders you admired the most to get you started. Military and
civilian.

Maybe take some time and beginning with the first question write down your response's. Have fun with this.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2020 5:07 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 17:07:00 -0400

Being Pro Active
Being a mentor
Knowing your duty station and position
Know when to step back and see the bigger picture
Guid your COs but don't baby sit... lol
Protect your and their Profession
Last but not least, Passion for everything you fight for. Not only in front of you but the things you fight to protect.

IGY6

Response by TSgt James Potter made Mar 19 at 2020 6:33 PM

TSgt James Potter — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 18:33:58 -0400

Never have someone do something you would not do yourself. Lead from the front. If it's going to suck, it will suck for all of us equally.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2020 9:41 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 21:41:28 -0400

*Keep Smiling & Have a Good Sense of Humor*

https://bigthink.com/personal-growth/humor-life-skill

Why having a good sense of humor is essential in life

From your health to leadership, a good sense of humor can improve nearly every aspect of life.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Mar 19 at 2020 10:49 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 22:49:19 -0400

LOVE. When someone loves another, they protect, nurture, and see them become successful even if they have to go to hell and back.

Response by SGT Steve McFarland made Mar 19 at 2020 11:35 PM

SGT Steve McFarland — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 23:35:05 -0400

Show that you value the members of your team, don't just tell them. Even little things, done sincerely, can make a huge difference.

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Mar 20 at 2020 7:54 AM

Cpl Jeff N. — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 07:54:47 -0400

One of my favorite quotes about leadership below. I think it gets things down to their essense. THis is pulled from a longer writing but I think it is on the mark.

____________________________________________________________________
Leadership, even within the military, is a social contract in the purest sense of the expression, predicated equally on the leader's desire to lead and on the consent of those led. It is grounded in the subordinate's trust in the leader and institution. The leader, therefore, must clearly demonstrate the true underpinnings of his moral authority - his unquestionable character. The subordinate's faith in the leader's integrity must not be violated...

Marines are ultimately judged by the quality of their leadership and by the quality of the leader reflected in their subordinates. A complex phenomenon, nearly defying description, leadership is fundamentally a reflection of an individual’s values, education, training and experience. It is the precious amalgam of his or her lifelong efforts at personal and professional improvement. It is above all else a product of character.

General Krulak, USMC

Response by Cpl Tou Lee Yang made Mar 21 at 2020 12:19 AM

Cpl Tou Lee Yang — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 00:19:24 -0400

I bet most of these so called leaders in here think Trump is a great President.

Response by SGM Samuel Boyle made Mar 21 at 2020 12:24 AM

SGM Samuel Boyle — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 00:24:24 -0400

Lead, Train, and Care for Soldiers and their Families. Nothing is more important; success comes from those three things. You can't lead Soldiers if you don't Train and Care for them; you can't Train Soldiers if you don't Lead them and look after their families; you can't Care for Soldiers if you don't Train them and by extension Lead them. It's that simple.

Response by CPT Daniel Cox made Mar 21 at 2020 12:57 AM

CPT Daniel Cox — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 00:57:54 -0400

Understanding human behavior is a key factor. During ROTC I took a course titled "Military Leadership." The school catalog had it listed under Behavioral Psychology and they were not incorrect in doing so. Understanding why and how people perform tasks can lead to getting your people to do more than just meeting the minimum standard to achieve the desired goal.
As an officer with prior enlisted service, I was able to have that understanding, which was helpful in leading my men.